| |
Archive for the ‘Camcorders’ Category
Saturday, February 18th, 2012
Taking the time to manually focus your camcorder may seem like a waste of time, since most current camcorders have awesome auto focus abilities. However, using the manual focus can help a great deal in certain situations.
 For instance, have you ever been in a large crowd and tried to tape a single subject–perhaps one that is far away? In these situations, auto focus can be a nightmare. Every time a person walks in front of you, the camcorder will refocus on the closer object, and your subject will become fuzzy as a result. Think of videotaping your child’s school concert; every time an audience member twitches in front of you, the camera refocuses on the movement and the kids on the stage become blurry. This is exacerbated if you are filming in a low-light environment!
So turn on your manual focus in situations where it’s not easy for the camera to keep your main subject sharp and clear. For best results, first let the camera auto-focus on the correct subject, and then turn on the manual focus. The camcorder should then keep its focus on the correct subject, at the same distance, without automatically changing to adjust to new items that enter the picture.
Sunday, November 27th, 2011
Every current camcorder has a beautiful, color LCD screen, and it’s easy to use that screen when filming. However, switching to the viewfinder (the eyepiece) can be helpful in a number of situations.
 First, the viewfinder uses far less battery power than the LCD screen. Observe the battery percentage you have left on your LCD screen. Now close the screen and check out the same display through the viewfinder. See the difference in the remaining battery life? You can conserve your battery time if you simply close the LCD screen. And if your battery is getting low after using the LCD, you can eke out extra time by switching to the viewfinder.
The viewfinder is also much better when filming in bright light. Take your camcorder out into the sunshine. How well can you see the screen? But when you switch to the viewfinder, your face and the eyepiece block out the sun–giving you a clear picture for filming.
Using the viewfinder can also play a role in keeping your camcorder stable. It is always better to hold your camcorder close to your body, because the weight of your body helps to keep the camcorder steady. Since you have to hold your camcorder to your face to use the viewfinder, this happens naturally–unlike the LCD screen, which forces most users to hold the camcorder at a distance.
Unfortunately, viewfinders seem to be going the way of the dodo on camcorders. So if you have one on your own cam, count yourself lucky–and use it!
Monday, November 21st, 2011
Headed over the river and through the woods for Thanksgiving? If so, you might want to consider adding another device to your load: power!
We’re all attached to our electronics these days, from phones and iPads to camcorders and the all-important portable DVD player for the kids in the car. But these devices require battery juice to run–which isn’t always easy to track down when you’re away from house circuitry.
Luckily, there a number of portable power generators available that can recharge your devices. These compact, lightweight gadgets can power up cell phones, iPods, laptops, digital cameras, camcorders, and more. Products vary, from car-accessible to airplane adapters, so you may have to do some checking to see what type of generator fits your travel needs.
Here are a few portable power generators to start with:
 The Trent iDual-Port Pack IMP50D is an Apple-friendly device, and can charge a iPhone up to 3 times. It even has two ports so two devices can be charged simultaneously. It’s a great solution for recharging USB devices of all kinds, and gets high customer praise. New Trent offers a variety of other battery solutions as well.
The Stitchway UltraPower Battery Charger is the largest-power iPhone battery in a compact size, capable of fully recharging a dead phone in less than two hours. It can be recharged up to 400 times. At $10 or less, it’s also one of the cheapest options available.
The ReVIVE Series Solar ReStore External Battery Pack is one of many solar-recharging options available. It can recharge up to 1,000 times either by solar energy, AC, or USB power, and can charge up phones, MP3 players, and other USB devices.
Don’t get caught powerless this holiday season! Adding one of these little devices may save you from a constant refrain of “Are we there yet?”
Monday, November 7th, 2011
 Here in the Northeast, autumn leaves are always quite striking. Even though we are dealing with the effects of the Halloween snow this year, our trees are still lovely–even in November. Autumn colors can be gorgeous when captured on video as well. But how can you ensure that the colors “pop” as they do in real life?
Awhile ago, we blogged about “The Golden Hour.” Go back and read that post if you missed it, because the Golden Hour (also called the “Magic Hour”) is ideal for autumn filming. The Golden Hour is a time of day that occurs in the early morning as the sun is rising, and again in the evening when it’s setting. At this time of day, the light casts a golden glow across the changing leaves, providing warm, gorgeous tones for your camcorder.
However, act quickly! The Golden Hour soon dissolves into harsh daylight or graying dusk. Keep in mind that the Golden “Hour” doesn’t always last a full hour, and can be as short as fifteen minutes. So plan ahead, and set up long before you need to start shooting.
For advanced camcorder hobbyists, keep an eye on your white balance when filming the Golden Hour. Light changes continuously during the far low-angle positions of the sun at this time of year. So reset your white balance manually every few minutes in order to ensure correct color temperature.
If the Golden Hour isn’t your thing, pray for rain. A heavy, brief rainstorm can also provide amazing fall colors. When the sky is bright–as it often is after a good storm–the wet leaves will reflect that light and display rich, vibrant color.
And most importantly: if you want to record fall leaves, don’t wait! We’ll be well into winter before you know it.
Sunday, October 30th, 2011
Halloween is one of the best holidays ever. Who doesn’t love the opportunity to dress up and pretend to be someone else, just for one night? Or carving a pumpkin? Or decorating with cobwebs and scarecrows? (And did we mention the candy?!)
Here are some tips for budding family videographers on Halloween:
 Start at full power
Stock up on extra batteries or charge up your camcorder ahead of time. You don’t want a dead camcorder before the night is over.
Film your kids at dusk
You’ll get better, clearer video (with more color) if you film your children in their costumes before it gets dark. Take your shots, and then go out trick-or-treating!
Direct them to have fun!
Remember, you’re not taking still shots. Encourage the kids to act out their costumes and interact with their siblings or friends. Don’t make them pose–a definite buzz kill. Keep the energy going!
Take some “B-roll”
B-roll constitutes shots that are not part of your main footage–atmosphere, so to speak. So on Halloween, get shots of your house (especially if it’s decorated), your jack o’lanterns, the fall foliage…anything extra that evokes Halloween.
Don’t forget to film a cameo: You!
It’s all too easy for the camera person to be cut out of the video–and years later, you and your family will wish that you had jumped into the action more often. So switch off recording duties with your spouse, kids, or even a neighbor. Make sure you’re part of the recorded memories too!
On Nov. 1, make a note as to who was in which costume.
You may know now that your daughter was the Disney princess, her cousin Sarah was the witch, and their friend Brian was Batman. But if you don’t write this down on your tape or another label, five or ten years from now, no one who watches your video will know which kids were in your living room. Anyone can be anyone under a mask!
We welcome your comments! If you have any Halloween tips for filming video, add them below. And if you have some great Halloween videos on YouTube that you’d like to share with our audience of video hobbyists, we welcome those links as well.
Have a merry, creepy Halloween!
Wednesday, October 19th, 2011
Have you ever noticed that your VCR or camcorder has an option to select different recording modes? Most often, these modes will be called SP or EP. On certain units, you will also see LP or SLP. But all you really need to know is this:
Always use SP!!!
 SP is an abbreviation for “standard play.” SP is the best mode to use for videotape recording because it will provide the clearest and most stable picture, both on your VCR or camcorder as well as other decks. On VHS and 8mm/Hi8 tapes, using SP will enable you to fit 2 hours of video on a single tape. On Mini DV and Digital 8, the SP maximum is one hour per tape. SP was the original recording mode developed by JVC for VHS recording, and the first pair of heads on a VCR or camcorder is always devoted specifically to SP.
But what about LP, EP, and SLP? What are they, and why shouldn’t you use them?
Let’s start with LP, short for “long play.” You rarely see LP mode on VCRs these days, but the setting did exist, primarily on Panasonic VCRs. Back in the dark ages of the VHS v. Betamax format war, the one advantage Betamax had was its ability to record 3 hours on a single tape. VHS was still limited to only 2 hours per tape. So Panasonic developed the LP mode, which could fit 4 hours of video on a single tape. JVC, the original manufacturer of VHS, was furious with Panasonic, which had previously agreed to not develop a lower-quality, longer-recording mode. (But ironically, the development of LP played a large role in VHS’s eventual triumph over Betamax.)
However, the tradeoff is that LP provides lower picture quality than SP. In order to fit twice as much video on the same amount of videotape, the video tracks have to be packed closer together and the tape has to be pulled through the VCR at half speed. Eventually, four-head VCRs were developed to mitigate these problems. One set of heads, at a wide width, are used for SP, and provide optimum picture quality. The other set of heads are used for the lower-quality speeds (LP and EP/SLP) and prioritize on tape economy. But because this second set of heads are narrower–to accommodate the slower tape speed–there is a reduction in video picture quality as well.
JVC retaliated against Panasonic by developing the 6-hour recording mode. This speed can be called either EP (JVC’s term, meaning “extended play”) or SLP (Panasonic’s term, building on their LP terminology and meaning “super long play”). The principles behind EP/SLP are the same as LP: the mode uses narrower heads and slower speeds to write video to the tape at reduced quality. In this case, because the tape is being threaded even more slowly and the video packed onto the tape even more tightly, the resulting quality is worse than LP.
Why did we specifically address the JVC-Panasonic snafu? Because this manufacturer dustup actually played a role in how certain VCRs react to tapes. JVC was so annoyed with Panasonic that it intentionally designed its VCRs to play LP tapes terribly. Even today, we often cannot use JVC VCRs to play LP tapes–they track the tapes very badly, adding a pronounced jitter and occasional dropouts. Fortunately, the same is not true of EP/SLP; in fact, Panasonic’s decks are usually better than JVC’s for EP/SLP conversion work.
LP and EP/SLP tapes–whether they are VHS, Mini DV, or something else–are almost always harder to stabilize during a video transfer. Tapes recorded in these modes are much harder to track, and can also show more color issues, audio problems, and frame skips than those recorded in SP. (Mini DV camcorder guides even caution you against recording in LP!) If the tape has been in storage for many years, that can exacerbate these problems as well.
That is why we advise to always use SP. Using LP or EP/SLP was more understandable in the past, when videotape prices could be high. But tapes are not expensive these days. Buy a few more tapes and record in SP, if you are still using a VCR or tape-based camcorder. You will end up with better-quality recordings, and gain better results if you have your tapes digitized in the future.
Saturday, October 8th, 2011
 Have you ever wondered what silica gel really is? It’s common to get little packets of the stuff when you purchase everything from purses and suitcases to camcorders and other electronics. Many of us just throw it out, but camcorder owners should think twice before trashing it.
Silica gel is actually intended to absorb moisture. Its purpose is to alert the videographer when moisture is collecting around a video camera–a condition that can affect how the camcorder operates, and the tapes or media as well. When the crystals change color, that is a sign that moisture is present.
So keep it in your camcorder bag. Even pack it around the camcorder if you wish. And silica gel can even be reused; just heat it gently and it will be as good as new.
Monday, September 26th, 2011
You’ve been communicated to by the power of video all your life. If you’re like most of us, you park yourself in front of the television for a few hours every day. Whether you watch the news, Mad Men, a reality show, or even an infomercial, that’s a lot of communication. TV has altered your views on everything from politics to which breakfast cereal you want to buy.
There’s a reason ads command such a hefty price during the Super Bowl: video is one of the most effective tools of communication today. So it’s not surprising that YouTube is growing by leaps and bounds. Average people have realized that video can convey a message amazingly well, whether it’s instructional or entertaining in tone.
Are shooting and editing video really that easy? Well, yes and no. Without a doubt, today’s crop of camcorders make it a breeze to know exactly what you’re filming: it’s right there on the huge color viewscreen. Compare that to 8mm film cameras or the tiny black-and-white eyepieces in cams from the 1980s! And fifteen years ago, editing video was a nightmare, because consumer computers were simply not capable of processing the size of the files. Now even the cheapest computers come with basic video editing software that makes simple cuts and transitions a snap.
But while the tools have gotten better, it’s still true that doing video well requires some skill and effort. Producing good shots takes some experience and a good eye–not to mention the added potential headaches of lighting and sound. And editing is much more involved than most people imagine when they fire up a new project in iMovie. Where do you cut: while he’s speaking, or after he’s spoken? Should you use a dissolve? What’s the best title style to ensure that the text can be easily read onscreen?
Video is a tremendously effective tool for communicating many different messages. But it does require effort and proficiency. But we think if you try it out once, you’ll be hooked too.
Saturday, April 30th, 2011
Customers often ask us what type of camcorder they should purchase. Often, they want a new camcorder to replace a tape-based model, such as VHS-C or 8mm. Most camcorders today do not use classic videotape, but one of a few tapeless options. And making it more confusing, models range from Flip-style cams to complex HDTV video cameras. Figuring out which level of camcorder is right for you is half the battle to purchasing a new unit that will serve you well for years. In general, there are four basic levels of camcorders:
1. Flip-Style (around $200)
 Named for the now-discontinued but hugely popular Flip camcorder, this type of cam is your entry-level option. A Flip-style video camera looks like a phone or MP3 player. It generally has a “record” button, a basic microphone, the ability to record to Flash memory (internal or external), and possibly a zoom lens. You can download the videos you shoot to your computer using the built-in USB port, and then easily upload them to YouTube (usually with included software). Best Buy’s website calls these cameras “shoot and share,” which provides a good idea of their intended function. Flip-style camcorders can be standard-definition or high-definition, although most have HD capabilities these days.
Pros: Small and portable. Simple to pull out and shoot. Easy uploading to the web.
Cons: Very few features. Very poor zooming and microphone abilities.
2. Standard-Definition ($300-$600)
 Most people think of standard-definition (SD) when they think of consumer camcorders. VHS, VHS-C, 8mm, Mini DV–all of these are SD camcorders. Tape-based SD cams have been joined by Flash, Mini DVD, and hard drive SD camcorders as well. These units have great features: the flip-out LCD screen, amazing optical zoom lenses, decent microphones, and myriad extra features. The quality from SD cams can be excellent, and for bargain shoppers, a SD cam may provide more functionality than a Flip cam while avoiding the steeper cost of HD. Mini DV camcorders are still available, and produce wonderful results as well as easy computer connectivity.
That said, this is becoming a high-definition world. Everyone from cable providers to TV networks is moving to widescreen, high-resolution video. If you don’t already have an HDTV, it’s likely your next TV set will be one. Will you be happy with the results from a SD camcorder in five years?
Pros: Excellent price for a great-quality, feature-laden camcorder.
Cons: Every year, SD cams become more of a relic as HD becomes the norm.
3. Basic High-Definition ($300-$1,000)
 Simply put: A basic HD camcorder should be the starting point for the average person who is looking to buy a new camcorder. “Basic” means that the camcorder is fairly automatic: it can focus, adjust audio, and handle white balance by itself. (In other words, a regular consumer camcorder, but in HD.) While any HD cam generally costs more than SD video cameras, an HD cam will shoot excellent images, provide great optical zoom, and can be quickly connected to your computer for editing and uploading (although editing HD video does require a fast computer with large storage capacity). HD cams record to Flash media, hard drives, and HDV tape (HD Mini DV).
Pros: The current standard in home video. Great features and picture quality.
Cons: HD requires a fast computer for editing. Difficult to watch without an HD-capable TV.
4. Premium High-Definition ($1,000+)
 The best HD camcorders naturally cost the most, and are therefore intended for serious hobbyists who want real control over their shooting. These video cameras allow manual control of settings, provide many extra features or optional add-on capabilities, and use multiple CCD/CMOS image sensors to achieve better-quality video. In this way, the shooter gains exceptional control in selecting light levels and techniques.
Pros: More features and settings than you’ll ever need.
Cons: Expensive. Overkill for most consumers.
So which should I buy?
The best way to select from the four levels of camcorders shown above is to ask “What will I use it for?” The ideal video camera for you meets your unique requirements as well as fits your skill set and your hand.
Here are a few sample questions:
– Do you want a camcorder that’s super-easy to use–one you can slip into your pocket like a phone? Are you into uploading to YouTube? If so, look into Flip-style camcorders.
– Do you value cost above anything else? Would you be satisfied with a well-featured camcorder that has a decent price? If so, look into standard-definition camcorders, particularly Mini DV.
– Do you have an HD TV? Do you want to combine the amazing quality of HD video with standard camcorder features, such as a zoom lens and a good microphone? If so, look into the basic HD models.
– Are you already into editing your SD videos? Do you like to adjust your white balance and add different lenses to your camcorder? If so, look at professional HD models.
Once you know what you’re looking for, research and shop around. Camcorders offer different features and come in a wide array of prices. Keep in mind that no one regrets spending extra cash on good quality, but if you cut corners to save, you may regret it later on when your camcorder can’t do what you want. Examine and literally hold different camcorders in a store to see which one feels comfortable to you. And then buy from a company you trust, either in person or online.
Part 2 in this series will examine the different types of recording format options, including Mini DVD, Flash memory, hard drives, and digital tape–so check back here soon!
Friday, March 18th, 2011
In the heydey of VHS-C and 8mm camcorders, A/V-ready connectors were built right into the camcorders. The camcorder almost always had RCA (a.k.a. composite) plugs: those yellow- and white-rimmed sockets that enabled your cam to connect to your TV or VCR. If you had a stereo-out video camera, you also had a red stereo plug; and if you were really lucky, you had an S-video out socket as well. S-video connectors were–unbelievably–standard on the higher-level, fondly-remembered late-90s Sony Hi8 cams.
But then things changed. Camcorders became smaller and smaller…and manufacturers began cutting corners. The S-video plugs and even the RCA plugs disappeared from 8mm cams. Mini DV camcorders usually just had one little connector: the 1/8″ plug.
 As a result, camcorders often came with a special cable, the 1/8″ to RCA adapter cable. One end has your typical red, white, and yellow composite connectors, while the other end has an 1/8″ connector–a plug with three bands that looks like a headphone jack. A photo of this A/V lead cable appears at right.
The lesson: whether this exact cable or a more unusual one comes with your camcorder, keep it! Even if you don’t use it, store it somewhere safe. Depending on the type of cable, replacements range from easy to downright difficult to find (and are often expensive!). This cable may be your only way to hook up your camcorder to a TV, VCR, or computer. So, whatever you do…don’t bury the (A/V) lead!
|
|
|
